Keeping Up with the Data Centre Boom

Future proofing data centre construction
The complexity of data centre construction globally, combined with data sovereignty and changes to regulation, mean Australian developers are faced with increased pressure to deliver projects on budget, create transparency and maintain compliance.

There is also a growing focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in the data centres sector, and operators are turning to technology and analytics to help reduce emissions and strive for carbon neutrality.

These issues formed the basis for a roundtable discussion between data centre industry leaders at the Luna Park Convention Centre in Sydney on 25 August 2022. The roundtable was hosted by Procore Technologies, a cloud-based construction management software provider.

What emerged from the discussion?

• the embracing of ESG by data centre operators and the importance of this going forward. The realistic prospects of achieving carbon-neutral data centres were also a central topic of discussion
• how the use of data and analytics can help data centres run more sustainably and effectively, and how they can be used to drive efficiencies during the construction of these sites
• the significant impact of the current widespread skills shortage on the sector, and the grassroots approach needed to better promote the sector to workers
• how the rise in “edge” data centres has presented risks and opportunities in relation to ESG.

The discussion was recorded, refined and structured into this whitepaper.